The inaugural ‘league part’ of the revamped Champions League concluded after Matchday 8 unfolded throughout Europe final evening.
Regardless of their first European defeat underneath Arne Slot, Liverpool completed atop the 36-team desk.
Whereas the Reds slumped within the Netherlands, the three remaining Premier League golf equipment emerged triumphant from their closing league-phase video games.
Liverpool pay worth for fringe line-up
Slot made Champions League historical past with a 2-1 dwelling win towards Lille within the penultimate spherical, changing into the second-ever supervisor to win their first seven video games in control of a membership at Europe’s high desk.
In doing so, the Dutchman sealed the Reds’ automated last-16 qualification with a recreation to spare, handing his aspect a much-needed breather forward of the league-phase finale.
Already by to the spherical of 16, Slot had the luxurious of leaving 12 first-team stars out of his travelling squad for Wednesday’s journey to the Philips Stadion to fulfill PSV Eindhoven.
Liverpool’s depleted line-up broke the impasse halfway by the primary half by Cody Gakpo earlier than Johan Bakayoko drew Peter Bosz’s aspect stage.
Harvey Elliott restored the guests’ lead within the fortieth minute, just for Ismael Saibari and Ricardo Pepi to show the sport on its head earlier than the half-time interval.
Little did anybody in Eindhoven know it might be the ultimate rating.
Regardless of relinquishing their 100% Champions League file, Liverpool stored maintain of the highest spot as runners-up Barcelona shared the spoils with Atalanta in a goal-glutted 2-2 draw.
Nwaneri helps Arsenal lock down round-of-16 berth
In contrast to Liverpool, Arsenal had every part to play for in Spain as their top-eight hopes hung by a thread heading into the ultimate spherical of fixtures.
Nonetheless, Mikel Arteta’s expenses entered proceedings in excessive spirits after profitable three earlier Champions League outings through not less than a three-goal margin.
Going through an out-of-sorts Girona ought to’ve been a stroll within the park for the Gunners, with Michel’s crew already out of competition for a top-24 end pre-round.
When Arnaut Danjuma fired the Catalan outfit in entrance simply earlier than the half-hour mark, it regarded just like the Premier League title hopefuls may give up an eight-match unbeaten away run in all competitions.
Jorginho’s penalty solely ten minutes later gave Arsenal a fast response earlier than up-and-coming Ethan Nwaneri accomplished the turnaround on the stroke of half-time.
Nwaneri’s maiden Champions League aim would ultimately settle a dramatic encounter at Estadio Municipal de Montilivi as Raheem Sterling squandered a penalty in second-half stoppages.
Manchester Metropolis squeak into play-offs
Manchester Metropolis’s worst Champions League marketing campaign underneath Pep Guardiola was probably 45 minutes away from ending within the league/group part for the primary time in over a decade.
Caught beneath the qualification zone earlier than the kick-off, Guardiola’s lads wanted three factors towards Membership Brugge to safe a play-off berth.
Raphael Onyedika shocked the Etihad Stadium second earlier than the break, powering dwelling a thunderous first-time effort to place the Belgian guests in entrance.
Nonetheless, the perennial Premier League champions took lower than ten minutes into the second half to attract stage by Mateo Kovacic’s excellent mid-range strike.
Guardiola breathed a sigh of reduction when Joel Ordonez unintentionally put the ball into his personal internet to show the tide in his aspect’s favour minutes after the 60-minute mark.
Second-half substitute Savinho sealed Membership Brugge’s destiny within the 77th minute, propelling Man Metropolis to a Twenty second-placed end, courtesy of a superior aim distinction to Twenty fifth-placed Dinamo Zagreb.
Aston Villa be a part of Champions League elite
Not even the bravest Aston Villa supporters may’ve imagined the Lions within the Champions League spherical of 16 upon the membership’s return to essentially the most prestigious membership competitors after greater than twenty years.
However Unai Emery lived as much as his tag as a ‘European specialist,’ guiding the Birmingham aspect to a outstanding eighth-placed end with a 4-2 dwelling win towards Celtic.
One of the vital enthralling noticed Morgan Rogers’ first-ever Champions League hat-trick catapult Emery’s crew to a breathless win at Villa Park.
Adam Idah scored twice for the Hoopes earlier than half-time, however Ollie Watkins re-established a one-goal cushion for Villa early within the second half.
Rogers landed a hammer blow within the second-half added time, sending a sold-out Villa Park into raptures.